Herb of the Month: Hawthorn

The hedgerows are suddenly alive! Just as the blackthorn trees go from flower to leaf, their cousin the hawthorn (both are rose family members) takes the cue from sun and Earth and explodes into blossom. In the west of Ireland, the hedges and the fairy trees are illuminating (though some delayed this year) with the creamy white and rarer pink blossoms of Crataegeus oxyacantha, known commonly as whitethorn or hawthorn. The vanilla scent wafts across the land and our eyes take in the welcome beauty, the harbinger of the season of Bealtaine, summertime in Ireland.

Hawthorn in Celtic Heritage

Hawthorn is one of the thirteen trees of the lunar Ogham calendar and generally represents the time from mid-April to mid-May. In Irish, hawthorn is known as huath and is the letter H in the ancient Irish Ogham alphabet. Hawthorn holds significance for the fire festival of Bealtaine which begins the season on May 1st. Traditionally the blossoms would be gathered for May altars and it was believed you could be whisked away to the fairy realm if you sat beneath a hawthorn on this day.

Hawthorn in Medicine

Hawthorn has an esteemed place in our folk medicine: all parts of the tree have healing properties including the leaves, flowers, stems, thorns and berries. Hawthorn nourishes the heart, physically regulates the beat and strengthens the cardiovascular response. With regular use hawthorn strengthens the heart tissue, eases angina and palpitations due to anxiety or hormonal response. Hawthorn berry tincture warms the heart and softens anger. In tea or tincture, hawthorn lowers blood pressure and brings vitality and efficiency to the circulatory system. The berries, stems and thorns are high in antioxidants.

Hawthorn Tea

The flower and leaf tea is incredibly delicious! Harvest a handful of vibrant blossoms with a few leaves and cover with water off the boil. Allow to steep for 3-5 minutes, strain out the herb and enjoy the comforting and sensual taste of honey and vanilla. For a decadent summertime treat, infuse a stem of hawthorn blossoms in your bottle of crisp white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio) or in fresh-squeezed lemonade. Allow it to steep for a few hours, then remove the stem/ blossoms and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh flowers over the top.

Hawthorn leaves and flowers can be harvested and dried to be used all year long.

An inaugural programme, new to the award winning Celtic Gardens, this residency provides an opportunity for a creative practitioner to research and develop their practice while nestled in the 11 acres of Brigit's Garden.

The hedgerows are suddenly alive! Just as the blackthorn trees go from flower to leaf, their cousin the hawthorn (both are rose family members) takes the cue from sun and Earth and explodes into blossom.

The Celtic people believed that the liminal times of dusk and dawn held the potential of magic and possibility and perhaps that is one of the reasons that the seasonal celebrations begin at dusk preceding. So, Bealtaine begins as the light wanes on April 30th.

Children from all around County Galway have been visiting the Garden for our Spring school workshops. They are planting seeds in the polytunnel, searching for the signs of spring in the Celtic Gardens and making bird nests in the woodlands.

Brigit’s Garden is looking for facilitators to work through both the Irish and English language as part of our experienced and enthusiastic Education Team. Brigit’s Garden offers a range of high-quality, inspirational and educational workshops for all ages. This role would involve working mainly with primary school students but may also include working with secondary schools and summer camps.

It has been a long winter and your home has held you well. Now, as the days warm, you are inclined to open the windows wider and invite in the freshness of renewal. Now is the time to clear away and make room for what will grow in your own life this season. Spring is the perfect time to cleanse your personal space to eliminate old energies and make way for the fresh and the new, to give love and intention to your beloved house and home.

Brigit was a herbalist and used wild herbs to nourish and heal body and spirit. Many of her plants grow in our gardens, hedgerows and meadows, providing wild and free medicine that has been used for thousands of years.

Brigits Garden Photo Galleries

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An inaugural programme, new to the award winning Celtic Gardens, this residency provides an opportunity for a creative practitioner to research and develop their practice while nestled in the 11 acres of Brigit's Garden.

The hedgerows are suddenly alive! Just as the blackthorn trees go from flower to leaf, their cousin the hawthorn (both are rose family members) takes the cue from sun and Earth and explodes into blossom.

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